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This was an ok episode undone by cardboard sets and sentiments. Infinite potential? Everybody has infinite potential, every queen of years has infinite potential, yet that's never been enough before. A giant planet that eats emotions, and its plan is to kill everybody it sees? But then what will it eat? And why was it a giant jackolantern? The dopey boxed alien "alarm clock" guy made no sense either.

The first 2/3rds finally felt like it was getting on track as a Doctor Who series, even if it did have a doofy wander-off to set up Clara and the whole storyline that comes with the kid-centric types of episodes like this, but once we got to the temple it started to look cheap and the emotional impacts of the writing felt forced and syrupy. Then you have the Doctor really putting in a basic effort to fight things and it just stopped delivering for me altogether.

If Clara turns out to be Susan or her daughter, I'd kind of like that twist, it'd fit in with the 50th anniversary, and this episode expressly mentioned coming to this place with Susan.

Originally Posted by Snowtrooper

I've been watching the a few of the tribute episodes, where they talk about a specific doctor and replay a classic episode. I really liked it when they covered the 2nd doctor and replayed Tomb of the Cybermen. I'm far more of an old school Dr Who fan and haven't been able to get into the new ones very much.

I have been watching them as well, and while I think I had to fast forward through the first doctor's replay, I loved the 2nd doctor's episodes, and am hoping not to hate the 3rd doctor's too much (I plan on watching them today). The thing about the 3rd Doctor is how much of a change from format he was, and how much we needed Tom Baker to replace him, but I only remember a tiny bit of the 3rd Doctor from it being played on PBS as a kid and then they went to Tom Baker's 4th Doctor and things really started to make sense. Maybe that'll be different though seeing it through older eyes.

I hope they air one of the crossover episodes, especially The Three Doctors where they use all the actors instead of stand-ins and cut scenes. Then again, I have seen really bad reviews of it, while folks seem to kinda like The Five Doctors.

Originally Posted by sith_killer_99

The big evil was the Great Intelligence. The same big evil from The Snowmen.

I agree it wasn't a stellar episode, I do think there is a lot of potential with the character though. We shall see.

It looks like the Great Intelligence will be heavily involved this season, I am going back to watch Asylum of the Daleks to see if I can catch any references to the Great Intelligence.

Using The Great Intelligence was a bit odd since it was Richard E. Grant who in The Snowmen was the GI's victim human. I don't mind Grant, he's good at playing those characters, but why connect him that way?

Pretty sure Asylum didn't have any Great Intelligence refs, but if you find one, I'm eager to hear it. I'd rather the GI not be connected to Clara directly, that'd be too easy.

Darth Vader is becoming the Mickey Mouse of Star Wars.

"In Brooklyn, a castle, is where dwell I"

The use of a lightsaber does not make one a Jedi, it is the ability to not use it.

I have been watching them as well, and while I think I had to fast forward through the first doctor's replay, I loved the 2nd doctor's episodes, and am hoping not to hate the 3rd doctor's too much (I plan on watching them today). The thing about the 3rd Doctor is how much of a change from format he was, and how much we needed Tom Baker to replace him, but I only remember a tiny bit of the 3rd Doctor from it being played on PBS as a kid and then they went to Tom Baker's 4th Doctor and things really started to make sense. Maybe that'll be different though seeing it through older eyes.

Two or three years ago, I noticed a PBS station was broadcasting the classic Doctor Who, and I was able to get started on the first episode. They are up to 1975 and the 4th Doctor now. They have shown every complete serial, except they seem to have skipped all of the Dalek episodes. Many of the lost episodes were in the latter part of the 1st Doctor and throughout the 2nd Doctor. I think I have liked each Doctor better than the previous one. I think the 3rd Doctor was the first one that seemed a bit more like the modern Doctors, and the 4th one even more so.

Originally Posted by JediTricks

I hope they air one of the crossover episodes, especially The Three Doctors where they use all the actors instead of stand-ins and cut scenes. Then again, I have seen really bad reviews of it, while folks seem to kinda like The Five Doctors.

I saw The Three Doctors episode, and liked it. It was cool to see all three of them together, though Hartnell was only seen on a screen since he was not well at the time.

I know not all of the Dalek episodes are missing, I watched the first Dalek serial on DVD not too long ago from Netflix, kinda slow in the middle and there are a few little limitations, but it does have the magic. EXTERMINATE! I hope it's not licensing; it could be a format issue though, PBS might have to have 'em in digital betamax or something.

For me, I have liked Tom Baker's 4 more than any pre 21st-century Doctors, and I definitely like 11 less than 9 and 10. Watching that 2nd Doctor retrospective episode recently though and quite liked 2, he had "it" and my issues I think turn out more to be with a young person's impatience with the limited format of the time than his performance.

Surprisingly, I really got into the first serial of the 3rd Doctor's run, expecting to hate it given that he's trapped on Earth and it's the first of the Autons who are a very silly monster. But Pertwee makes for a far more compelling Doctor than I had remembered in my limited exposure and knowledge.

Glad to hear good things about The Three Doctors then.

Darth Vader is becoming the Mickey Mouse of Star Wars.

"In Brooklyn, a castle, is where dwell I"

The use of a lightsaber does not make one a Jedi, it is the ability to not use it.

I know not all of the Dalek episodes are missing, I watched the first Dalek serial on DVD not too long ago from Netflix, kinda slow in the middle and there are a few little limitations, but it does have the magic. EXTERMINATE! I hope it's not licensing; it could be a format issue though, PBS might have to have 'em in digital betamax or something.

You are far more critical of things than I am, so my opinion may not be a ringing endorsement. Still, I think it is entertaining just to see how they interact with each other.

I'm not expecting much, don't worry. It's a gimmick piece meant to sell on the novelty of gathering these actors together to recreate the part, none of that says "top shelf", so it's easier to enjoy on a base level.

Now the 4.5 Doctors...

Darth Vader is becoming the Mickey Mouse of Star Wars.

"In Brooklyn, a castle, is where dwell I"

The use of a lightsaber does not make one a Jedi, it is the ability to not use it.

Ian and Barbara are the only ones I know of, but I'm not a big time fan like that.

Glad to hear you liked it, and it was really cool to see their first encounter and how different AND similar they were. For me, if some of the material with Barbara and Susan had been tighter and less like filler, I think I would have really enjoyed it on every level.

Darth Vader is becoming the Mickey Mouse of Star Wars.

"In Brooklyn, a castle, is where dwell I"

The use of a lightsaber does not make one a Jedi, it is the ability to not use it.

Ian and Barbara are the only ones I know of, but I'm not a big time fan like that.

Yeah, I would have to look it up some more. Since there was so much missing from Doctor #2, a lot would change between one intact serial and the next intact one they showed. In fact, the entirety of Season 4 appears to have no complete serial, so the first one I saw with the 2nd Doctor was Tomb of the Cybermen, and that is the only complete serial from Season 5. Everything from Season 7 onwards seems to be complete, though.